No Arabic abstract
We suggest that the physically irrelevant choice of a representative worldline of a relativistic spinning particle should correspond to a gauge symmetry in an action approach. Using a canonical formalism in special relativity, we identify a (first-class) spin gauge constraint, which generates a shift of the worldline together with the corresponding transformation of the spin on phase space. An action principle is formulated for which a minimal coupling to fields is straightforward. The electromagnetic interaction of a monopole-dipole particle is constructed explicitly.
The Generalized Uncertainty Principle and the related minimum length are normally considered in non-relativistic Quantum Mechanics. Extending it to relativistic theories is important for having a Lorentz invariant minimum length and for testing the modified Heisenberg principle at high energies.In this paper, we formulate a relativistic Generalized Uncertainty Principle. We then use this to write the modified Klein-Gordon, Schrodinger and Dirac equations, and compute quantum gravity corrections to the relativistic hydrogen atom, particle in a box, and the linear harmonic oscillator.
We elaborate on the role of higher-derivative curvature invariants as a quantum selection mechanism of regular spacetimes in the framework of the Lorentzian path integral approach to quantum gravity. We show that for a large class of black hole metrics prominently regular there are higher-derivative curvature invariants associated with a singular term in the action. Therefore, according to the finite action principle applied to a general higher-derivative gravity model, not only singular spacetimes but also some of the regular ones seem to not contribute to the path integral.
We give a quantum mechanical description of accelerated relativistic particles in the framework of Coherent States (CS) of the (3+1)-dimensional conformal group SU(2,2), with the role of accelerations played by special conformal transformations and with the role of (proper) time translations played by dilations. The accelerated ground state $tildephi_0$ of first quantization is a CS of the conformal group. We compute the distribution function giving the occupation number of each energy level in $tildephi_0$ and, with it, the partition function Z, mean energy E and entropy S, which resemble that of an Einstein Solid. An effective temperature T can be assigned to this accelerated ensemble through the thermodynamic expression dE/dS, which leads to a (non linear) relation between acceleration and temperature different from Unruhs (linear) formula. Then we construct the corresponding conformal-SU(2,2)-invariant second quantized theory and its spontaneous breakdown when selecting Poincare-invariant degenerated theta-vacua (namely, coherent states of conformal zero modes). Special conformal transformations (accelerations) destabilize the Poincare vacuum and make it to radiate.
The Generalized Uncertainty Principle (GUP) has been directly applied to the motion of (macroscopic) test bodies on a given space-time in order to compute corrections to the classical orbits predicted in Newtonian Mechanics or General Relativity. These corrections generically violate the Equivalence Principle. The GUP has also been indirectly applied to the gravitational source by relating the GUP modified Hawking temperature to a deformation of the background metric. Such a deformed background metric determines new geodesic motions without violating the Equivalence Principle. We point out here that the two effects are mutually exclusive when compared with experimental bounds. Moreover, the former stems from modified Poisson brackets obtained from a wrong classical limit of the deformed canonical commutators.
Angular momentum at null infinity has a supertranslation ambiguity from the lack of a preferred Poincare group and a similar ambiguity when the center-of-mass position changes as linear momentum is radiated. Recently, we noted there is an additional one-parameter ambiguity in the possible definitions of angular momentum and center-of-mass charge. We argue that this one-parameter ambiguity can be resolved by considering the generalized BMS charges that are constructed from local 2-sphere-covariant tensors near null infinity; these supertranslation-covariant charges differ from several expressions currently used. Quantizing angular momentum requires a supertranslation-invariant angular momentum in the center-of-mass frame. We propose one such definition of angular momentum involving nonlocal quantities on the 2-sphere, which could be used to define a quantum notion of general-relativistic angular momentum.